Safety hitch



April 15, 1930. DEN BESTEN 1754412 SAFETY HITCH Filed April 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Shee l SAFETY HITCH Filed April 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 eriten Patented Apr. 15, 1930 PATENT OFFICE GERRI'I. DEN BESTEN, OE HOLLAND, MICI-IIGAN Appllcation filed April so,

- ed to automatically Separate ancl thus (lisconnect tl1e tmetor from said implement should an extra heavy strain be encounterecl. For instance in plowing, many times the p1ow striking a more 01' less solid obstruction"the hitch Will automatically operate ';0

disconnect tl1e p1ow and tractor befo1e any parts of either are broken, or before, as many times has oecured without safety devices 01 this character, the tractor rises and turns over backward.

My invention is concernecl Wih a very simple yet practical anal efficient hitch 015 this character, sure in its operation und one which can 106 manufactured and sold a1; a very 10W cost, there being little 0r 110 macl1ine worl; needed on the metal parts which are usecl in making the hitch.

An understanding 0f alle invention ancl the structure embodying the same may loe had from the following description taken in C011- nection With the aecompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a lau view of the hit-ch, certain parts thereof eing broken away and shown in section for better disclosure of tl1e structure.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, one jaw of the hitch being br0ken away.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the manner in which a hook cooperating with tl1e hitch may be connected with 01 detaohed from the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the hitch at the point where the gripping rollers a1e mounted.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspect1ve vievv showing one of said rollers and the end 0f the jaw in which it is mounted.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a slightly difi'erent form of the hitch construction.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, similar t0 Fig. 5, illustrating the equivalent of the gripping rollers used and the end of a, javv member 50 in which the same are individually mounted.

1928. Serial N0. 273,808.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section, sinnilar in all respects to that sl1oWn in Fig. 1, bu'b illustrating the difierent const1uction 0:E hitch.

Fig. 9 is a plan view 0f the hitch shown in Fig. 6, showing the manner in which the jaws are opened to disco'nnect the same upon encountering a, force greater than the parls should withstand, and,

Fig. 10 is an elevation with 011e jaw 1mmber broken away, sh0Wing tl1e diflerent form 0f the invention, tl1e elevation in Fig. 10 cor responcling to that shown in Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer t0 like parts in the difl'erent figures of the drawings.

In the construction illustrated the bolt 3 is used in conjunction With a hook member which in turn is designecl to be connected with 11118 hitch carried by and extencling forwarclly from the implement drawn, the holt passing through an evener, tl1e hook member and holt being used when ho1ses are usecl tO c lraw the implements.

The hook member has an upperrnemloer 5 Which extends back and ab its rear encl terminat'es in a hook 5, the edge 0f the hook 5 being thinnecl and tapered, as shown in Fig. 1. A short distance from the edge 013 the hook 5 a bar 6 extends cliagonally downwarol for a distance' and is then extended horizontally, as a1: 7 parallel to the upper bar 4. The holt 3 passes through openings acljacent the ends of saicl bars 4 and 7.

The hitch inclucles upper and lower draw bars 8 anal 9 which extencl 10 the rear and are attached at any suitable place 130 tl1e tractor. TW0 bolts 10 and 11 pass through the bars 8 and 9, the latter being located clos6 t0 the ends 0f saicl bars, while the holt 10 is locatecl a short distance back thereof. Two jaw members 12 ancl 13 at tl1eir rear ends overlap and are pivotally mounted on and between the bars 8 and 9, the holt 10 passing through saicl overlapping ends. Bach of ehe jaw members at a point intermediate its ends .and at its 1'n- 11er side is formed with an inwardly extending shoulcler 14. Said shoulders are designed 150 have abutting contact in front of which is an open elongated space or slot 15 through which the holt 11 passes The two jaw members 12 und 13 accordingly are centered and helcl in alignment with said holt 11.

Forward of the shoulders 14 the jaw members carry webs 16, 17 and 18 frorn which upper and lower flanges extend outwardly. The webs 17 are parallel t-0 each other While the webs 18 are 0f substantially semi-cylindrical form und yare located adjacent the rear ends of the jaws 12 und 13. Flanges 19 extend inwardly from tl1e upper and lower edgesof webs 18 in which cunved recesses. are made in order tl1at rollers 20havingbearing studs 21 at each end 1nay be received within und mounted in said recesses, tl1e studs 21 entering the bearing recesses in the webs 19, wliile tl1e rollers 20 are housecl within tl1e curved web portions 18.

An elongatecl b0lt 22 passes througl1 the webs 17. Between tl1e head 0'f the holt and 0ne of ehe webs 17 a strong c0iled compression spring 23 is placed ancl between tl1e opposite web and a nut threaded 011 t0 the end of the bolt another and like spring 23 is located. These springs under compression serve t0 force the jaw members 013 the hiteh toward euch other until the Shoulders'l4 conie int0 abutting engagement. In such position the two rollers 20 bear against ea0h other.

The h00k 5 is placed back of the rollers 20 with its tapered edge entering between the rollers. So long as ehe pullingforce fro1nthe tractor to the implement connected with it does n0t exceed a predetermined safe a1n0unt the rollers Will remain together and a secure connection ofzthe implement it0 thetractor will be had. But ifthe strain exceeds the predetermined safe amount tl1e springs 23 are compressed and the jaws separate Whereup0n the hook 5 passes l etweenfl1e rollers 20 and a .disconnectionof the tractor and the im lement drawn thereby is had.

t is, ofcourse, evident that a reconneetion 0f t-he h00k .5 with tl1e deviee may be readily had. The design 0f the h0ok und its position with respect t0 the diagonal portion 6 is such thatwhile the hook may be connected with :thehitch readily it can be connected only in an angular position, like that shown in Fig. 3, which necessitates a removal of the b0lt 3. Conversely ehe l100k me1nber Will not disconnect fromthe hitch after it has been comnected therewith and is.in the substantially 'horizont-zil positionshown in Fig. 2, in which -positionlit is.maintained after the holt 3has been passed through the eye 2.

In'Eigs. 6 to 10 inelusive a slightly different f0rm of hitch is shown. The draw bars 8 and 9and the way that the jaws 12 and 13 aremounted t'here0n is the salne as that previouSly described. The webs 16 are of cylindriczil form ancl the tw0ends 17 tl1ereof a1e parallel t0 ea0l1 other, while beyond the ends 17 are semi-circular webs 18 between the npper and lower edges 0f whicl1 flanges 19 eXtendinwardly, each hav'ing a curved socket "members are in abutting engagement, as

shown in Fig. 6.

The bar 1 whichis connected t0 a tractor for drawing an implement at its rear -end is formed witl1 a substantia'llyU-shaped clevis having upper und lower parallel 'legs 27 through which a holt 28 passes, the b0lt lying back 0f tl1e heads 24 and being received in recesses 25 011 both 0f saidheads, as Shown in Fig. 6.

\Vhen the strain exceeds a predetermined safe amount the jaws separate witl1 a 00mpression 0f the springs 23 and tl1e heads 241 r0tate, ehe holt 28 staying in tl1e recesses in which it l1as been seated ancl 'i0ll0wing saicl recesses as the heads rotate. Tl1is is illustrated in Fig. 9 Wl1lCll sh0ws the manner in which tl1e hitch may'be disconnected f101n said holt- 28. It is identical in piin0iple 0f operation with the strueture firsbclescribed, ancl Whi0h is shown in Figs. 1 t0 5 indusive.

The hitch described is 01' simple and econolnical construction, as is evident. The parts are simply formed, easily fab1*icated and are substantially cornplete when ea-st requiring little or 110 machine work 0tl1er than properly finishing some 013 tl1e holes 01 0penings through which the b0lts, such as 10, ass.

The construction has proved very practical in service. The appended c'laims define tl1e invention and is t0 be considered compre'hensive ofall forms 0f structure.coming Within t-l1eir scope.

I claim:

1. A hitch construction comprising a draw bar, tw0 jaw memberspivotally connectedt-o said draw bar and extending beyondone=end thereof, spring means acting 0n said jaw members t0 force the sa1ne together, und. 1'0- tary 1nernbers mounted at the inner sides 01 and adjacent the free ends 0f Cl1e jaw ineinbers and normally held'in contact Willi eael1 0tl1er by said spring means, a conneeted dra'ft 1ne1nber being aclapted t0 bear agziinst -said rotary members ab thev inner -sides thereof.

2. A hiteh comprising, two ;jmv1nembers pivotally conneeted 'at -one end .and l ying alongside 0f each 0thei, adraw:bar e0nstruction t0 Which the jaw members are;connected ab theirpivotally mounted ends, strong spring means normally holding .the jaws .together, each 0f said jaw me1nbers adjaeent its .free end having=aeoncaved housingat .its inner side, and a vertical rotary member mountecl v tween saicl shoulclers ancl the pivot of the jaw mernbers, a holt passing through the draw bar construction and through saicl open space be tween the j 21W members, heavy spring means acting 011 the j aw members at their outer sides t0 force the same toward each other, and 1'0- tnry .members mounted to turn about vertical axes carriecl one by each jaw 1nember at its inner sicle and acljacentits free end, said rotary members normally bearing against each other.

4. In a, hi'tch, upper ancl lower parallel clraw bars, two spacecl apart bolts passing through saicl bars, jaw me1nbers having one encl of each lying between the bars anol one of saicl bolts passing through the encls 0I the jaw mernbers, projecting shoulders at tl1e inner sides of the jaw members beyoncl ehe ends of the draw bare normally bearing against each 0ther, there being an open space bet-ween the inner sides 0f the jaw members between said shoulders and the point of pivotal Connection t0 the bar, ehe other holt passing between the jaw members at saicl open space, a, rocl having heads ab its outer ends extending transversely through the jaw me1nloers heavy coiled colnpression springs between l3llG heaols of the rod and t he outer sicles cf said jmv members, and a membar mountecl for rotation about a vertical axis earrieol at tl1e inner side and acljacent tl1e outer end of euch jaw member, saicl rotary members normally bearing against eaeh other.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination definecl in claim 5, each of saicl rotary Inembers being of substantially triangular shape with the corners thereof autaway t0 form conoave recesses, adj acent sides of the rotary members contacting witl1 each other and with tvvo adjacent recesses 011 said members joining 150 form a substantially semi-circular depression between saicl mennbers where they are in contact Wih eaeh other.

6. A hitch comprising, two jaw members pivotally conneeted together and lying alongside of each other, spring rneans normally hololing the jaws together, and a rotatable member mountecl 0n the movable end of each jaw each of said rotatable members being of substantially triangular shape and adjacent sides of the triangles contacting each other by pressure of said spring means.

7. A hitch comprising, two jaw 1nembers p1votally connectecl together and lying alongsicle of each other, spring means normally holding the jaws together, and a retatable membe1 mounted 011 the movable end of each jaw, each 0f said rotatable me1nbers being of substantially triangular shape and adjacent sides 0f the triangles contacting each other by pressure 0f said spring means und the 001- ners 0f saicl triangles beim cut away 110 form joining surfaces engageab e by a draft manabar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GERRIT DEN BESTEN. 

